


9 Months (& 4 days)

by doeme227



Category: Call the Midwife
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-08
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2018-09-30 17:46:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10168376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doeme227/pseuds/doeme227
Summary: She hadn’t written ahead to Nonnatus to inform them of her arrival. After her father’s death, Patsy had spent two solid weeks resolving his final affairs before boarding the first passage back to England as soon as possible.





	

**Author's Note:**

> After seeing the preview for next week's episode, I couldn't quite shake this from my mind. Stands alone as a one shot at the moment but may feel an itch to add to it in due course!

9 months apart.

Specifically, 9 months and 4 days.

9 months and 4 days since a parting embrace and a whispering of ‘I love you’.

Patsy stepped off the walkway and felt her feet hit solid ground for the first time in two weeks.

It had been a long, hard passage from Hong Kong to Southampton. The weeks on board spent grieving her father’s death, desperately clinging to their final memories together.

Though she had been by his side for months caring for him, it was only in his final days that Jonathon Mount had broached the subject.

\----

_“Patience, sit with me.”_

_Patsy startled at the sound of her father’s voice, unaware that he had awoken from his slumber. Gingerly raising herself from the large armchair in the corner of the room, the redhead placed her book onto the side table before making her way to her father’s side._

_Gently perching on the side on his bed the young nurse searched his face for a moment before speaking._

_“Can I get you anything Father?”_

_Feeling a frail hand slip between both her own in her lap, Patsy held tightly to it as her father opened his mouth._

_“I’m so very happy Patience. That you’re here. That I can lay my eyes upon you after so many years apart.”_

_Patsy felt her eyes water as she dropped her head to study their joined hands. The years during the war had left irreparable and life altering scars for the both of them. In the years following, the pair had found themselves unable to coexist together under the weight of their past. Painful memories of what had been lost had shattered any possible resemblance of family._

_Although they had kept in touch the best they could, it wasn’t until Patsy had travelled to be at her father’s bedside earlier in the year that the pair had grown close and finally opened their hearts up to each other._

_Their time together tainted with the inevitable decline of Mr Mount’s health, Patsy found herself desperately regretting the years spent apart._

_“Patience.” Patsy looked up again._

_“Yes Father?”_

_“I am nothing if not grateful that you have come all this way to be with me. That we’ve had this time together. I’ve been such a fool—“_

_“We’ve both been fools.” Patsy interrupted._

_“—But I’m not blind child. I can recognise a hurting heart when I see one.”_

_“Father, I don’t”—His daughter stuttered—“I…”_

_“Tell me about them Patience. We don’t have long left together and I wish to know you’ll be taken care of when I’m gone.”_

_Patsy sat stunned. It was a situation she had never imagined. How was she to tell her dying father on his deathbed that she was in love with a woman?_

_She could feel her breath start to come quicker as she blinked rapidly to clear the tears forming._

_“I don’t think I can tell you.” She confessed, shaking her head. “For fear of what you’ll think of me.”_

_Feeling a soft tug on her hand, Patsy looked back to her father._

_Mr Mount didn’t speak for a moment, gazing at his daughter as he thought before hesitantly asking._

_“Have you had you heart broken Patience? You’ve not run here from your problems have you?”_

_Patsy’s eyes widened instantly, head shaking._

_“No!” She yelped. “If anything she gave me the strength I needed to come!”_

_“She?”_

_Patsy’s face drained of colour as her brain caught up to her mouth. With tears running down her cheeks as she moved to stand, her shoulders slumped._

_“Patience wait.” Mr Mount protested. “Please sit down.”_

_“Father you must understand, I can’t help—“_

_“Patience.”_

_“—who I fall in love with but that’s exactly—“_

_“Patience.”_

_“—it, I am in love with her! I promise you this doesn’t change—“_

_“Patsy!” Mr Mount weakly exerted._

_“—who I am.” Suddenly realising how her father had addressed her, Patsy steadied herself before looking to the man lying in bed._

_“Don’t you think we’ve already suffered through the worst this world has to offer? Why would I condemn you simply for loving somebody when I have only just got you back?” Mr Mount carefully reached his hand out and patted the space next to him. “Come sit down Patience. Tell me about this woman. I suspect she must be extremely special to be so deserving of your love.”_

_Standing still for only a moment more, the nurse took a deep breath before moving to pick up the book she had previously put down. Hesitantly sitting back on the edge of the bed, Patsy opened the book to the last page she had been looking at. Letting her eyes fall to the photograph within she tenderly traced her finger over the smiling face and let sparkling blue eyes fill her mind for a long moment before handing the picture to her father._

_“Her name is Delia…”_

\----

That night, merely a week before he passed, Patsy spoke to her father at length about Delia. Answering question after question from the ailing man, Patsy felt the constant ache in her chest ease slightly as she let herself get lost in her favourite subject.

She hadn’t written ahead to Nonnatus to inform them of her arrival. After her father’s death, Patsy had spent two solid weeks resolving his final affairs before boarding the first passage back to England as soon as possible.

Looking around the port, the young woman observed other passengers being greeted by their loved ones and felt a pang in her chest as she indulged herself in the dream of a blue eyed brunette greeting her dockside with arms flung around her neck and a mischievous grin on her lips.

Shaking the thought from her mind, the red head took a deep breath as she did a mental checklist of herself before raising her chin and moving forwards.

Knowing how close she was to being home, how close she was to Delia, was overpowering. The knowledge that she would be there before the day was over was the overwhelming factor that kept one foot stepping in front of the other towards the train station.

\----

Stepping out of the taxi, Patsy looked up at Nonnatus House. Feeling her chest tighten, she glanced to her left at the bike rack. Noting that there was only one bike currently there, Patsy picked up her luggage and moved up the stairs toward the front door.

Grasping the door handle, Patsy pushed herself through the doorway.

Now stood in the hallway, she placed her bag down as she turned to close the door behind her.

Pausing suddenly as she heard a rustling behind her the redhead spun on her heel, her eyes landing on a small brunette looking through the morning post.

Taking in a gasping breath, Patsy felt the full weight of the last 9 months hit her full force as tears instantly sprung to her eyes.

With a startle, Delia turned towards the sound. Her own eyes widening she took in the sight of her emotional redhead.

“Pats?!”

Without a second thought Patsy threw herself forward. Wrapping her arms around Delia she buried her face in the shorter woman’s neck. Sobs flowed freely and as she felt her love’s arms wrap tightly around her, she let herself be held by the one person her body had spent 9 months aching for.

9 months and 4 days.


End file.
